Updated
Updated · Longmont Times-Call · Jul 13
Colorado Access Enters 14 Counties in 2027 as Cigna Exits Colorado Marketplace
Updated
Updated · Longmont Times-Call · Jul 13

Colorado Access Enters 14 Counties in 2027 as Cigna Exits Colorado Marketplace

2 articles · Updated · Longmont Times-Call · Jul 13

Summary

  • Colorado’s 2027 individual insurance marketplace will add Colorado Access in 14 counties while Cigna leaves entirely, forcing current Cigna members to pick new coverage next year.
  • 9 of Cigna’s 11 current counties will still get Colorado Access plans, though Larimer and Weld will not; the newcomer also expands into Clear Creek, Elbert, Gilpin, Park and Pueblo.
  • Colorado Access said state subsidy support made entry feasible and expects some Medicaid members losing coverage under twice-yearly eligibility checks to shift into marketplace plans.
  • Colorado’s marketplace has already been strained after pandemic-era subsidies expired: paid enrollment was down about 18,000 people, or 7%, by February, though that beat the 12% national decline.
  • Rate pressure remains a broader risk for 2027, with insurers in 16 states and Washington, D.C., seeking average premium increases of 14% as medical costs and utilization rise.

Insights

With federal support shrinking, can Colorado's state-funded plan shield its residents from rising healthcare costs?
A national insurer exits and a local nonprofit enters. Is this the future for state health insurance markets?